My boyfriend and I are heading out on our OE at the beginning of next year, with the hopes of living and working in France....and not returning home for at least a couple of years. We are not fussed as to where we end up, just wherever we can find work.

Forunately for me, I am able to apply for citizenship (by descent) and am currently gathering the required papers for this, though I realise it probably won't be so simple Sy isn't so fortunate, but we are sure work permits/residency can be organised eventually for him.

Basically, I'm curious in hearing the stories of people who have moved to France. Any problems they have enountered, trials we will need to go through etc. Anything you can tell me will be great!

gisele, bon voyage...sounds exquisitely exciting!!!_________________"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

try the forums on
francetoday.com,
expatica.com_________________Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly
..................................MFK Fisher

what a wonderful plan! My parents moved to France when I was little (taking me along, obviously) and we lived there for several years. i seem to have only good memories of these years, although France and the French did take some getting used to. The best advice that I can give you is that the better your French is, the easier it is to blend in. This may seem quite straight forward, but we had a lot of expat friends whose French was not as fluent as could be, and they did experience problems in various fields such as obtaining information from the government and municipal offices, the refurbishment of their houses, in their working life etc. The moment you get to being really able to have all kinds of conversations in French, it was our experience that they actually started to appreciate the effort (rather then pretending not to understand these stupid foreigners) and you started to be a real part of their society. But then again maybe the both of you are fluent already!! Anyway, I hope you'll have a great time and the adventure of moving to another country and all the experiences that come with it are in itself rewarding! (yes, this does sound as "the journey, not the destination" kind of profundity)

Oh Gisele, lucky you!! I can't offer much in the way of practical advice about paperwork and such, as when I did my year as an assistante d'anglais quite a lot was arranged through the embassy/the Ministry of Education/my school, but I can at least tell you a few things to make the red tape a little less frustrating -

1. It isn't designed to drive foreigners crazy. It's designed to drive EVERYONE crazy! You will find plenty of French people to sympathise with you over the endless paperwork and the infamous Gallic shrug!
2. No matter how much red tape there is, it WILL end. I promise.

Also, for accommodation, do you know about De Particulier a Particulier (www.pap.fr)? There are loads of listings for every departement (I think) posted by landlords, so you don't have to deal with an estate agent.

Anyway, good luck! And if you end up in the Loire Valley, I can give you more detailed advice (that's where I lived)...

Madame - thank you, little way to go yet, but i'm already excited...now just have to wait for 11 months!

cigalechanta - thanks. I'll check those out.

Barbara - i noticed that. Also looking at IEP and their programs.

Saskia - my mum has mentioned the language thing to me. She lived there for 3 years, working on the farm where she met my father, and has often recounted how difficult she found it at first as she didnt know any french, but if she made an effort, people were happier to help her Unfortunately, they arrived in NZ a couple of months before I was born, and Dad stuck himself in the "must speak english in this country" mentality. So I am learning this year, but shall hopefully be able to practise with my parents.

Rachel - lol I know that shrug very well! Learned it at a very young age!! Yea, Dad was telling me it took him 6 months to renew his passport recently, and then added the infamous shrug

gingerpale - lol, OE = Overseas Experience, and it is something nearly every young NZer (at least in this generation) does at some stage in their 20's. It's something I have wanted to do ever since I was a little girl, visit the country my father comes from, meet my father's family....none of whom i have ever met before, as Dad hasn't been back since he arrived here - 23 years ago.If I hadn't decided to be a good girl and go to uni and obtain my Degree straight after I left high school, I would have left a few years ago. Listening to all my friends experiences has made the itch worse, so to speak. So, yes....I want to go, there's so much to see

my advice would be to definitely get the citizenship by descent if you can, rather than going the easy, 'working holiday' visa option. If Kiwis have the same conditions as Australians, I understand you are NOT able to change status / visa should you want to stay once you're here. And yes, what they say about French administration is not a myth, it is a nightmare ! But it's one of the few inconveniences of this fabulous country. Happy planning!

Joined: 18 Oct 2004Posts: 1654Location: Within view of Elliot Bay, The Olympics and every ship in the Sound

Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject:

Good luck, I am interested to hear how it goes for you. I'm starting to do the same for my Irish citizenship which should allow me to move around as an EU citizen. Hopefully._________________"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

I've obtained Citizenship by descent, and am about to apply for my passport. I've also organised my younger brother and done his for him at the same time, as I know he would never really get round to it. We are glad we didn't listen to some of my family though, they were absolutely convinced that you had to apply before you were 18 or 21, which is completely untrue, however, the people saying that are Dutch and I do believe that there are restrictions like that for applying for Dutch citizenship...could be wrong.

It's frustrating as I'm getting really excited, but I'm not leaving until March...such a looong time to wait

Thanks Famdoz!

Erin - Good luck with your Irish citizenship! Just knowing I'm now an EU citizen has made things a lot easier and less worrisome for me. Of course, I'm now worrying about my boyfriend as he isn't so fortunate!

Gisele and Erin, what happens to your current status as a citizen where you live now? And will you be full voting & taxpaying citizens in your "new" countries? I've always liked the idea of being a "citizen of the world", but didn't know it was possible to do it this way.

gingerpale - New Zealand and France both allow dual citizenship (or multiple citizenship depending on how they term it), which means I have citizenship rights and responsibilities for both countries, whatever they may be. The same should happen for Erin.

It is almost impossible for the partner of an Australian or NZ person to gain a work visa in France. The easiest way will be to do the reciprocal visa deal that they have for under 30's.

Good luck! Just remember to not lose your cool withthe french administration staff. It is one of the most frustrating experiences you will ever have in your life, but over soon if you keep being charming and pleasant to them.

Also wear nice clothes to the appointments. If you dress up a little they give you more respect and are more willing to help than if you stroll in wearing jeans and tshirts. Being too casual is seen as a lack of respect to the person you are talking to.

If you need more advice from an Australian re the paperwork side of it, PM me. It is very similar for Aus and NZ, and if I don't know I can ask my NZ friends here._________________If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

Joined: 18 Oct 2004Posts: 1654Location: Within view of Elliot Bay, The Olympics and every ship in the Sound

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject:

I am still in the very beginning and really don't know very much. A close friend is a new citizen, but Mexico still recognizes her citizenship there with out a tax requirement. I'm hoping that's the case since I don't actually plan to live there. My goal is France.

What I do know is; There are more Irish living in other countries than in Ireland itself, so as an incentive they don't require you to give up your current status._________________"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."